Whenever you open a folder containing images on Windows XP, a hidden system file called "Thumbs.db" is created. These files allow you to speed up the display of previews when you open that folder again and can take up a lot of space if you have a lot of images on your computer. You can safely delete them and prevent their creation by disabling the preview cache.
On Windows Vista the preview cache is contained in one location instead of being distributed across many invisible files. You will also find in Disk Cleanup an option that allows you to clear the preview cache.
Steps
Method 1 of 4: Clear the Preview Cache on Windows XP
Step 1. Since Thumbs.db is a hidden system file, you will need to allow it to be viewed
Follow these steps:
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From Windows Explorer, click on the "Tools" menu, then select "Folder Options".
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Click on the "View" tab.
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Make sure "Show hidden files and folders" is checked.
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Uncheck "Hide protected operational files" and click "OK" when the warning appears.
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Click "OK" to close the Folder Options window.
Clear the Thumbnail Cache in Windows Step 1Bullet5 Clear the Thumbnail Cache in Windows Step 2 Step 2. Open the Start menu, and then click "Search"
Clear the Thumbnail Cache in Windows Step 3 Step 3. Click "Search for files and folders" in the left pane
Clear the Thumbnail Cache in Windows Step 4 Step 4. Type "Thumbs.db" in the search field, then click "Search"
Windows will search for all "Thumbs.db" files on your computer. If they don't show up, make sure hidden and system files are included in the search results.
Clear the Thumbnail Cache in Windows Step 5 Step 5. Click "Select All" from the "Edit" menu
Clear the Thumbnail Cache in Windows Step 6 Step 6. Click "Delete" from the "File" menu
The files will be moved to the Trash, according to your settings.
Method 2 of 4: Clear the Preview Cache on Windows Vista
Clear the Thumbnail Cache in Windows Step 7 Step 1. Run the Disk Cleanup tool - open the Start menu, type "Disk Cleanup", then press Enter
Clear the Thumbnail Cache in Windows Step 8 Step 2. Make sure the "Previews" option is checked, then click "Delete files"
Method 3 of 4: Disable Preview Cache on Windows XP
Clear the Thumbnail Cache in Windows Step 9 Step 1. Open Windows Explorer
Right click on the "Start" menu and select "Explore".
Clear the Thumbnail Cache in Windows Step 10 Step 2. Click on the "Tools" menu, then select "Folder Options"
Clear the Thumbnail Cache in Windows Step 11 Step 3. Click on the "View" tab
Clear the Thumbnail Cache in Windows Step 12 Step 4. Select "Don't cache previews", then click "OK"
Method 4 of 4: Disable Preview Cache on Windows Vista
Clear the Thumbnail Cache in Windows Step 13 Step 1. Follow the same steps as in Windows XP, but select "Always show icons and no previews
Windows Vista does not offer the option to disable the preview cache; you can only disable them completely.